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India's Young Shuttlers Fall Short: Ayush Shetty, Anmol Kharb Exit Denmark Open

India's young badminton talents faced tough challenges in their Denmark Open campaigns. Ayush Shetty fought hard against higher-ranked Toma Junior Popov but ultimately fell in three games. Anmol Kharb struggled against world No. 7 Putri Kusuma Wardani, losing in straight sets. Other Indian doubles pairs also suffered defeats in their opening matches at the Super 750 event.

Key Points: Ayush Shetty Anmol Kharb Exit Denmark Open 2025 First Round

  • Ayush Shetty pushed world No. 15 Popov to three games in 77-minute thriller
  • Anmol Kharb showed fight in second game before losing to world No. 7
  • Indian men's doubles pair lost straight games to Chinese Taipei opponents
  • Women's doubles team Kavipriya-Simran suffered heavy defeat against Bulgarian sisters
2 min read

Ayush Shetty, Anmol Kharb exit early from Denmark Open 2025

Indian badminton stars Ayush Shetty and Anmol Kharb suffer opening round defeats at Denmark Open 2025 against higher-ranked opponents in Odense.

"The Indian fought back in the second game, taking a narrow 16-15 lead before sealing it 21-17 to force a decider. - Olympics.com"

New Delhi, October 14

India's young badminton stars Ayush Shetty and Anmol Kharb bowed out in the opening round of the Denmark Open 2025 after suffering defeats in Odense on Tuesday, as per Olympics.com.

Competing at the Jyske Bank Arena, 20-year-old Ayush Shetty, ranked 30th in men's singles, went down fighting against France's Toma Junior Popov, the world No. 15. The Indian shuttler lost 21-19, 17-21, 21-15 in a contest that lasted 77 minutes.

The US Open 2025 badminton champion, Ayush made a strong start and kept pace with Popov in the opening game, which was tied at 15-all before the Frenchman broke away with a four-point surge. The Indian fought back in the second game, taking a narrow 16-15 lead before sealing it 21-17 to force a decider. However, Popov proved too strong in the third, closing out the match with authority.

In the women's singles, 18-year-old Anmol Kharb ranked 46th in the world, faced a tough challenge against Indonesia's Putri Kusuma Wardani, the world No. 7. The Indian teenager lost 21-9, 21-14 in just 34 minutes.

After a one-sided opening game, Anmol displayed better rhythm in the second and managed to draw level at 14-all, but Wardani reeled off seven consecutive points to wrap up the match. The Arctic Open semi-finalist was India's only representative in the women's singles draw.

In men's doubles, the Indian pair of Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy and Sai Pratheek K suffered a 21-13, 21-17 defeat to Liu Kuang-Heng and Yang Po-Han of Chinese Taipei.

Meanwhile, in women's doubles, Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi were beaten 21-4, 21-11 by Bulgaria's Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva. The Panda sisters, Rutaparna and Swetaparna, will take the court later in the day.

Lakshya Sen, along with India's top men's doubles duo Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, will begin their campaigns at the BWF Super 750 event on Wednesday.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Anmol is only 18 and playing against world no. 7 - that's a huge experience in itself. She'll learn and come back stronger. The future looks bright for Indian badminton! 💪
A
Aditya G
Disappointing results overall, but let's not forget these are young players. They need our support, not criticism. The Denmark Open is one of the toughest tournaments.
S
Sarah B
The women's doubles score of 21-4 in first game is concerning. Our players need better exposure and training facilities to compete at this level consistently.
K
Karthik V
Looking forward to Lakshya Sen and Satwik-Chirag's matches tomorrow! They are our real medal hopes. Hope they bring some cheer for Indian fans. 🏸
N
Nisha Z
Anmol reaching 14-14 in second game against world no. 7 shows she has the talent. Just needs to work on closing out games. Better luck next time, beta!

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